Life, Death but Love
by Deathangel Katsumi
Summary: We meet again our champion of Kalos as Serena returns to her home at a more mature age, after visiting Kanto and the new found dream to study in the field of pokemon, does wonders when the professor finally meets Serena at a more alluring sight. They both develop a love for eachother, but with Team Flare around once again, things are sure to turn less beautiful than it should.
1. Chapter 1 Coming Home

Hi there! ~

It's Deathangel Katsumi here with another fanfiction, but this time I have multiple chapters ready to post after this one, personally I didn't think this chapter explained that much 'excitement' but I veeeery much like the ending XD

Reviews are very much welcome, but please don't go too harsh on the criticism, it's hard to start off stories to a start of romance and drama, and of course, excitement~

So as I was saying, be prepared for a chapter ready strait after this one, because I have sooooo much to post to a good start, so this new story is finally here after the delay of trying to post this thing with some 'minor difficulties' But it's here now ^^

My new found love and OTP is right here, all lacewoodshippers I recommend this story as my own, because boy do have I thought of the greatest plot! Well what I thought was great anyway~

Anyway enough of what I have to say. Have a nice read ^^

Life, Death but Love

Chapter 1

Serena's eyelids opened with a flutter as the morning sunshine shone through the gaps

of the pink curtains, a small sound echoes in her room and she widened her eyes to see her mothers fletching now a talon flame pocking and cooing at her awakeness.

She nudged her nose whilst she giggled in response.

"Good morning talon flame." She smiled and petted its feathers, talon flame creened in response. "Well I guess its time to get up!" Serena stretched her limbs and yawned in satisfaction. Serena had only just yesterday came back from her journey in the Kanto region, after being champion in Kalos, when she went off to travel to a whole new region, Diantha gracefully took the role in being the temporary champion after being defeated once, but now Serena is back to be responsible for her role back in Kalos as promised. Kalos's champion.

Once Serena was dressed in her signature red skirt and black top with black thigh high stockings, she raced down stairs to meet her mother.

"Good morning sweetheart, you got back pretty late last night, no wonder you slept in quite a bit." Her mother smiled an all knowing smile and went to finish cleaning up the dishes, Serena sweat dropped and giggled nervously.

"Guess that comes with the job of travelling." Serena winked "I'm going to go and catch up with everyone today, see you Mom!" With that, she raced out the door to Santelune city, her Mother just smiled and shook her head with a smile.

"Let's see, hat, check… pokedex, check… Delphox… check!" She mumbled to herself organizingly as she walked down the pathway of Santelune, She took note at how things were generally the same around here, perhaps only a few minor changes to signs, new ones and all, but the air was still the same, a fresh smell of the forest in distance and a scent of wild flowers by open shops, it was perfect.

Just before she took another step, an all too familiar ringing buzzed in her bag, fishing it out with not much difficulty, she pressed the green button on her holo caster. That's when the face she grew to know and love so much popped up on the screen.

"Ah! Serena! Ma Cherie, how nice it is to see you after so long, a little Fletchling told me that a familiar face turned up in the region, and what better person, than the champion itself, no?"

"Hi Professor! It has been a little while, I had such a great journey back in Kanto, there are so many different types of pokemon I had never seen before, however Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur were the familiar faces there." She let a smile escape her lips, Professor Sycamore the Kalos regions professor smiled in return.

"Well then, you will have to drop by and tell me all about it! I also would like to know what more you found out about mega evolution, I always have room to write more works on mega evolution adventures." He threw her a charming smile, which made her cheeks tint pink slightly, he noticed this, but passed it. " I also think we should get some things written down, that of course if you have anything to share about mega evolution of course" He finished, she smiled more with a twinkle in her eyes, aside from the whole pokemon journey, she had always wanted to research the pokemon in evolutionary state.

"Oh yeah, of course I do! My Amphoros had the chance to mega evolve for the first time on my journey in a totally different region." She finished in triumph, remembering the memory of her Amphoros evolving into mega Amphoros in that short phase, it was exhilarating.

"Fantastique, I shall see you later at my lab then, ma Cherie?"

"Um, yes! Yes you will, bye professor!" she smiled and waved at the screen and ended the call. She closed her eyes and sighed, aside from noticing his nicknames for her and seeing him for the first time in forever, she felt pretty flushed on her first day back to Kalos.

"I have a feeling things are going to get complicated between us…" she whispered to herself.

When she left for the Kanto region it was only natural she left her reigning team behind here whilst she started up a new team, making newer friends with pokemon, The only pokemon she kept with her at all times was her Delphox, her very first pokemon, evolved to the fullest from a tiny Fennekin.

She picked up her feet and went strait to the pokemon centre, it felt more like home to be back in a Kalossion pokemon centre, the ones back in Kanto were much different and didn't have a convenient store to head strait into. Hooking up to a PC box, she typed in her details and looked for her most cherished team of all, once she got hold of her Sylvion, Aurorus, Charizard and Lucario, she finished by retrieving her Xerneas from the past events nearly over a year ago, taking them, she put them safe in her bag along with her Delphox. Suddenly one of her pokemon opened and a beam of shocking red came springing out of her bag, spotlighting a silhouette of her Slyvion.

It appeared in all its colours with a sparkle and crooned out to Serena with glee, before pouncing at its rightful spot on her shoulder.

"Sylvie! Sylvie! Slyvion!" It squeaked.

"Hi Slyvion! How are you girl?" Serena petted the Slyvion currently smothering its face in her cheek. "What do you say we go see the professor?" she asked it, whilst it replied with a noise of agreement.

With that they both raced of outside of the pokemon centre in Santelune, and with a swift grab of one poke ball she called out her trusty flying pokemon Charizard, it roared and stretched its wings, with a strong figure, and an eyeful of determination, she had seen it do throughout her Kalos journey. She petted it, whilst it purred with a rumble in its throat saying it missed her, before climbing on its back and took off with speed and momentum.

"Take us to Lumiose?" Her Charizard grumbled happily in response, as it began to set course of direction to the 'capital' central city of Kalos, Home to the beautiful atmosphere of bustling Kalossions and lights of prism tower.

Upon landing at one of the entrance gates when they arrived, she took the chance to take in the life in the day time of the city, stools were open and many other cafés and shops, she could spot the tower in the distance, a reminder of the gym standing there, and many good smelling smells and talkative people, not to forget the very same Gogoat, sitting under a lamp post dozing off into the heat of the sun on an exceptionally warm day.

Returning her Charizard and planting Sylvion more firmly on her shoulders, making her way across the south boulevard, she came across the familiar building across from Vernal Avenue. The Sycamore Lab, she walked past the gates and up the steps towards the doors she had passed through many times before.

She carried on through until she met the elevator that would take her to his lab on the second floor, pushing the button it took a second to lift and elevate from the ground, thinking to herself and getting nervous about meeting him, she swallowed her nervousness and let a breath out when it stopped.

The doors opened with the sound of sliding metal, and with that, the lab were surprisingly empty.

"Oh! Serena, it's nice to see you again finally." _Yeah right _A female voice chanted with the sound of heels walking round the corner closer to her, she recognised this woman, this was Sophie.

"Hi, Sophie right?" She greeted one of the professors Interns.

"Well indeed, I believe if you're looking for Sycamore, he's up in his loft, he told me he was expecting you." She smiled kindly, but Serena saw something else written in her eyes. _Jealousy?_

"Um, okay, I'll go right up then." Serena waved a hand over to the buttons, whilst Sophie carried on with work in the lab, the doors closing once more and the lift began shifting again, eased her only slightly, she could never stand that long with his intern Sophie, there was always something that made Serena sure her bark was worse than her bite, and she'd never hear the end of it.

When the lift came to a halt, the doors opened to a rather nicely decorated apartment, that office of his, next door, past one of the hallways, there may be a couple of books lying around, but it was relatively tidy.

She distantly heard the sound of water running and then abruptly turned off, which made her wonder where he is. Until she froze when a rustling door knob wobbled on the left side of the hallway.

Then the random door opened, supposedly the bathroom, because when Professor Sycamore came out of it, he was dressed in a towel, and only a towel.


	2. Chapter 2 Pleasant encounter

Chapter 2

Serena froze with her mouth agape, she couldn't believe what she has witnessed before her eyes, Sycamore stood there shirtless, revealing a semi toned chest, a hint of a six pack and muscles that weren't done overly so, he was surely stunning in her eyes. Her face completely flushed now stared in shock, until He broke the silence with her name blown in the air with his slightly shocked voice also.

But one thing that still rang through her mind was the fact he could be stark naked under that towel.

"Serena..? Um...i wasn't expecting you so soon." He worded carefully, a couple drops dripped from his hair down his chest, showed he had obviously just come out of the shower; she snapped out of it and nervously backed away, a stutter mess.

"Ah, Professor! I! So sorry I didn't know yo- … well I just remembered I had to do some errands, so, see you later!~" she blushed and quickly rushed to the elevator, trying so badly to not give away her fingers repeatedly tapping the ground floor button.

"Serena wait!.." he tried to bring her back to reality in hopes to reassure her, but it was too late when the doors shut.

The professor stood there quietly and unmoved by her sudden outburst, only feeling a hint of the shock, walking out in front of her in just a towel, when he didn't realise she was stood there… That's when he pinched the bridge of his nose in the slightest amusement and walked off to get dressed.

She ran out the lab, in the utter embarrassed state she was, she picked up the pace then slowed to a stop when she came by a small shop, the juice Shoppe to be exact.

"_I cant believe I just barged in like that, but wow, did he have a nice body… maybe a drink will calm my nerves." _She thought to herself and entered the little shop; she went up to the employee, a cheerful smile on his face asking what he could get her with a wink on the end.

She looked at him rolling her eyes. _If only he knew what I went through today, he'd known I wouldn't have eyes for him._ If anything she liked the fact that people didn't make much of a fuss that she was champion in public, but some of the guys her age would just try their luck, and boy did she hate that.

"I'll have a peach and yoghurt smoothie please." She said in a bored tone, once the drink was made, she gave the money over, and before he said another word with a fake greasy smile.

"No." was her last answer; she then happily walked out of the juice place and sat out in front on the randomly scattered chairs and tables with large parasols to hide from the sun. She stared at the pale peach colour of her drink, and her mind couldn't help but wonder back to the images of the pale skin colour of his nicely toned body-

"Gah! Why can't I get that image out of my head?!" She said frustratingly loud, she widened her eyes at her mistake, and looked to where the window of the juice Shoppe where the employee stood with a strange look and a sweat drop. Her face flushed and turned away quickly with a sigh of torment.

"Why does this stuff always happen to me?" and she dipped her head in shame.

Meanwhile walking down the streets of Lumiose by the same shop, Diantha the previous champion of Kalos noticed a familiar face among the parasols on amongst the many tables and chairs.

"Serena, sweetheart!" Serena's head perked up and locked eyes with her, she grew to know Diantha for her bubbly personality and classy acts, but she was an actress after all.

"Diantha!?" Serena focused more on her before her; she hadn't seen her in some time.

"Hey there girl! It's been certainly a while non? My look at you! You've grown to be a perfect young woman." She spaced up to Serena and kissed both her cheeks in greeting, this was Kalos not to forget.

"Well it's been a year maybe two" Serena smiled back forgetting about her previous measures. Diantha smiled and sat down opposite her.

"Come! Sit dear, I would like to hear so much about you, and you may want to know more about Kalos as it is." She spoke in glee.

"Oh! Right, of course" Serena sat down to face Diantha. "I ended up doing some mega evolution stuff outside this region and I'm pretty sure Professor Sycamore would like to know details on that."

"Ah yes, Augustine has been doing remarkably well through the time you went on your second journey to Kanto, it was all thanks to you, you know? You provided him the complete pokedex and mega evolution info a couple years back, and now he has it written up in one stunning document, a stunning professor he truly is." Her smiled widened "Did you know he got awarded for a couple of his journal documents on mega evolutions? You got him the right information he needed, and I trust he has yet to thank you for it, especially for letting him study you and your pokemon."

"Yeah, well it was nothing, I just have that special bond with pokemon to get them to mega evolve like some do." She sheepishly replied with a victorious smile.

"Yes, in which you truly do honey, But listen, Kalos is changing, new stores open everyday now, I'm pretty sure Lumiose is expanding like the universe everyday, but, some things are best to stay the same so we can remember it, oui?

"I would like to think so; it's nice to see Kalos finally getting back what it lost those years ago, when it nearly got destroyed."

"I can see that, although, when I say it's rapidly changing, I'm afraid not in the best of ways, you see, some of the old things could possibly be back for the more bad times of this beautiful place." Diantha fell silent after that, Serena's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What do you mean...?" Serena felt like she just stepped on a wine glass.

"Serena, it was good timing I met up with you here today, I also have some very urgent news, indeed things are certainly turning since you've been gone, which is why Lysandre has found it easy to make his way back to the things he is only known for… No one knows this yet, I am the first to know from Looker when he said he spotted Lysandre walking by the pokemon Village, and he wasn't sure at first until he found traces of the same materials he used for his inventions."

"What!? He's back?" Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing, and a bad feeling began to pit at the bottom of her stomach.

"Hush Serena, don't make a scene!" Diantha told her sternly with a finger to her own lips "As I've said, none of the gym leaders know any of this yet, and as a former champion, I was the first to know, and it would only be right if you knew first too. I found this out not too long ago, but the sighting was a month ago, I too have a feeling he must be plotting something, he should have been arrested by now, but, Looker wasn't on his case for sure, so he didn't get down into detail on him, he was still pretty focused on another case he didn't say anything about. But I guess that's just duty." Serena took it all in

"So what do you think he's up to, if it's been a month, that's a bit long for he could be on the last verge on loosing everything."

"Well it was nearly his lifetime till he put his 'perfect world' plan into action, besides we don't even know how long he's been sneaking around after he disappeared back then, my guess he started this after you left."

"What would he be doing by the pokemon village? I'm pretty much scared for the pokemon who live there, you don't think he would hurt them do you?" Serena whispered.

"My guess is as good as yours sweet cheeks, as for the pokemon, as far as I know he's willing to go for a perfect world, I wish no pokemon should ever be living there right now." Serena looked with sad eyes with a hint of disbelief "Darling look at me, I will inform the elite four, we will be ready for any actions he takes upon the public, if he ever comes out of hiding, if he has a plan to spring, and I will let Looker know, you'll be willing to help, non? You are our champion." She smiled at her finished sentence.

"Of course I will! If I stopped him before, I will surely stop him again. Does Professor Sycamore know any of this?" Serena questioned, she remembered his relation with Lysandre and if pokemon could be in any sort of danger, Sycamore is sure to help.

"My, your determination never gets old, even in your more mature age." Another voice cut in.

"My, speak of the devil, Come sit Auggie!" Diantha waved him over to sit around the table; He came round and sat around the table with Serena and Diantha either side, on the three way table.

"Beautiful day in Lumiose, non? What brings you here Diantha, might I add you also took off in quite a hurry Serena." He chuckled. Serena was astonished as to how he could keep a strait and cheerful face in this situation, it's like it never happened, I guess for the sake of Diantha being here, so she just played along. And smiled back in return.

"I just had a few errands to run, that's all."

"Sitting at a juice bar? Classy." He teased; she gave him a look as if to say 'don't make this worse than it already is. He looked at her in thought than at Diantha."You two seem a bit tense. What is up, may I ask?"

Serena looked at Diantha, with a look of plead, getting through that he could certainly help the pokemon when they need it, if things were surely to unravel. "Professor Sycamore can help." He looked at Serena in question. "And what can I help with ma Cherie, Is everything alright?" He looked cautiously to Diantha with a stern look.

"Auggie, There's something you should know, after all, you were as much involved in helping last time, years back as you will be now. And Serena's right, if the pokemon seeks any kind of help or understanding, then you'll be the one. You see Augustine…"


	3. Chapter 3 What could be going on?

Thankyou for the amazing views everybody! w

So here is another chapter for you all 3

Chapter 3

And so Diantha explained the situation, Serena watched the expression changes and remarks made by Augustine Sycamore, mostly in shock and anger; He seemed to be mostly unbelievable to it.

"This is absurd!" Augustine slammed his fist none too lightly down on the table. "He is looking for trouble, he gets far enough to be manipulating, I've grown up with him in my child hood, and if there's one thing I know, is that he won't stop till he gets the one thing he wants. Merde... We all should have seen this coming. Most of it doesn't make any sense that is until we see him spring his actions at the very least. I haven't seen any team flare grunts in the two years, what makes the picture to suddenly come out to destroy this world Kalos has just only gained?" He frowned and looked towards his fist

"Like I've said to Serena, even I don't know the whole story and neither does Looker, all I know is that we need a plan towards any suspicions we have towards Lysandre. We are all connected here, it's only right, to defend Kalos. What he did two years ago, was unforgivable, the legendaries will never forgive him now."

" Your right Diantha, for that I am willing to help, I will have to look more into this as much as I can, being a high rank can get you into places and secret files I have no problem in getting hold of."

"Hang on. We seem to be getting ahead of ourselves." They both looked at Serena. "I have just got back and already plans are being made, that I feel I have no part in as the champion remind you, I hated having to put up with him those years ago, yet we don't even know if Lysandre is up to something, we still don't know enough information, what of we do something and we end up pulling the smallest string?" Serena pounced into the conversation with concern.

"She's right Diantha, don't make any other contact yet, all that is to do now, is make precautions at least, I'm sure Looker will let you know if anything suspicious, the top pokemon trainers; elite four and you two should know about, I'm guessing things are pretty covered." Diantha nodded and stood.

"Well I will be taking my leave now; I trust you two might want to catch up, especially with the whole research thing Serena has been chatting to me about." Diantha let a cheeky smile grace her lips once more and Sycamore looked at Serena with a well suited smile. She nodded in response and Diantha took her leave. "Aurevoir sweethearts!" She walked down past the many other colourful shops and headed down to the centre of Lumiose.

"Well, Serena, why don't we head back to the lab and have that conversation about mega evolution? I think we need to forget about this Lysandre business for the time being, after all you've just returned, so let me give you a proper welcome back."

"Of course, well there is a lot to talk about I imagine professor." She smiled back regaining all her dignity and to speak to him without stuttering.

They both walked down to the Sycamore labs once more and entered his loft to his apartment, they both decided to sit in the small lounge with a laptop, papers and two steaming cups of coffee with cream.

They began chatting and talking carefree to each other like they used to, things almost didn't change, and pokemon was more interesting than their lives once more, Serena now being 20 years old, He certainly took in her mature look and the way she spoke now, both being young adults was a turn over in their speech, but it accelerated to a fit of laughs and enthusiastic speeches of experiments from the professor. He has heard all about her journey through Kanto, the gym battles she took on and meeting new friends and the pokemon she saw, she even handed over her completed Kanto dex, which he obviously took on in amazement, and let's not forget the mega evolution of her Amphoros in her new team in the Kanto region.

"So you would like to become a researcher?" He smiles at her charmingly with perfect white teeth, girls would swoon at the sight.

"Yeah, it's just a path I took my feet to, having all of this with pokemon, I have a first person view and the research I learned from you is just really interesting, it's perfect." She finished with a serene look on her face, focusing on her mug of coffee.

"Well I could very well offer you a spot here at the labs, it would be nice having a well known face around here, and mega evolution seems to be your thing." She looked up.

"Really? You'd do that for me, this is amazing, I've always wanted to be working here and doing what you do." Her smile shone brightly, something Augustine wanted her to do all the time, him being the cause of it, makes it all worth the wile to do so.

"Besides, I'd think I like you enough to offer you a place on the spot, I can always help you with things to get you going, you need to hand in a document to head pokemon science industry, since its research, and not anything technical like the real science behind pokemon, you will just need a journal study of what you are capable of doing, and I think you have all the materials here to get started on it." He motioned the poke dexes and his laptop resources.

"Thanks professor, damn I really missed Kalos, I feel things have changed, but they haven't, I mean, I'm even thinking about giving Diantha the place to be champion again to battle other trainers who challenge, I think the title is just enough for me." She sighed.

"Well some things need to change oui? Sometimes for the better and some for the new, ma Cherie, please don't be sad, I'm sure you will get to see your many wonderful friends again real soon, I have you know that some people do in fact don't change." He let a small laugh of amusement at his last comment, Serena looked out the window and peace etched her face. "Plus by the sounds of it, something tells me I still act the same to you."

She looked at him and giggled red handed, but then her fore head creased with a frown. "So did you know Lysandre when you were little?"

There was a little pause as he looked at her more seriously.

"Oui, as a matter of fact I did, we were always both in the range of science and research, he invented, whilst I studied, we were best friends back then… But he wanted much more to stand out than I did, he took it too far, during the battle two years ago, I believed he had some good still left in him, but I was wrong… He is troubled now Serena, and there is nothing more I can do, but let him get on with it." He sighed "But anyway, there really is nothing more, I am bound to what I have accomplished, my parents were proud and it is something I enjoy and love, I trust you felt the same with your journeys being a trainer who travelled round the regions, and now here we are discussing a future of researching." He smirked, as she smiled all the while in understanding.

"Here let me take the cups out." She offered, he looked at her thankfully.

"I will clear up here, it is getting late, rather it is later than I thought." He said checking his watch and looking at the many lamp posts lights on in the Lumiose streets. "I will walk you home, are you staying anywhere here or…? He looked at her as she was just about to make way to the kitchenette next door.

"Um well, last night I stayed at my Moms, but I promised her I would find a place to stay in Lumiose or something and eventually get an apartment here, she knows about the research thing you see. I told her I will be fine, and then she just complained I was growing up too fast." She added a laugh at the end of what she said and walked off to the small kitchen. He let loose a small laugh at her talk. "Then I can walk you to the nearest Hotel me belle." He offered.

"Ouch!" Her sudden scream startled the professor and made him rush to the source.

"Serena!? Are you alright?" He eyed up the red blood spilled cut across her finger, she hissed at the sight of it and moaned in annoyance. "What happened?"

"Its fine I just knocked the mug in the sink, went to grab it, and I think there was a knife in there." Eyeing the water filled bowl in the sink. He then sighed in relief and went to one of the cupboards to pull out a mini first aid kit.

"Here let me see." She protested at first reassuring him that it was fine, but he didn't let up, she then gave into him and let him inspect it. It was a pretty deep cut, he handled it with care, he took her finger as delicately as possible, she noticed how caring he was not to hurt her too much, then wiped a wet wipe over it, which made her hiss out again and he eventually cleaned the cut to see it more clearly, wrapping it in a think layer of a band aide, and taped it at the end. He smiled at his handiwork and put the kit away. She couldn't take her eyes off him the whole time, his face so concentrating and not to mention so calm and dare say attractive, caught her off guard.

"There, good as new, now let's see about taking you to that hotel you planned on staying tonight."

"Uh… Yes! Of course." She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to grab her things.

They walked in complete comfort with each other, side by side but their shoulders were not touching, she mostly talked about how she travelled with great interest with how her pokemon acted in different situations, which included funny stories about them and things she had seen others do. By the time they both turned up to the hotel, they stopped, both making eye contact.

"So how's your finger?" He asked her, remembering her little accident.

"Much better now, thanks for that." If anyone saw her, they'd think she had a look of shyness in her movements, like a girl parting with her first date for the night.

"Good, well I hope we can talk about more things about our futures in the research industry, things have certainly gotten… interesting." Deja vu was certainly going to hit her now.

"Yeah me too." She looked deeply into him.

"You really have grown up Serena…" He gave her a genuine smile. "Well I will let you go, goodnight ma Cherie."

"Um bye professor." She waved him off, as he walked the opposite direction to the lab.

When she got her room key and put her bag down to sleep for one of the few nights she was staying here by, she flopped on her bed and groaned.

"_I think I'm falling in love with him."_


End file.
